Ghastly Shadow Dweller
by ShuiLong1234
Summary: He was from the Void, he was one with it. And yet, he felt normal besides the power flowing through him. Hadn't Zeratul already told him: "Nobody can understand the doings of the Void. Even we, the First Born, cannot grasp its essence completely."? He decided that even the Void should learn to understand itself. (Yeah crappy summary, I know, but go ahead and read please! Thanks!)
1. Prologue

**Ghastly Shadow Dweller**

_Hey, guess what? This is a disclaimer, and I certainly don't own Starcraft, or Starcraft 2, or their characters._

**Prologue**

Nobody can understand the doings of the Void. Even we, the First Born, cannot grasp its essence completely. What is it really? A sentient being? Everything? Somebody? We don't know and we may never know, even though our searches are long, and our lives lengthy.

Even its workings, we do not understand fully. I am the Dark Templar Prelate, my name is Zeratul. By this year that the Terrans number 2488, I made the first contact with what is known to us Protoss, chosen of the Xel'naga, as a lesser civilization. The Zergs have proliferated beyond our imagination. The Terran main sector, Koprulu, might yet be in those creatures reach, but already, they have gotten to some parts our galaxy.

As I traveled with my fleet through the Dinares sector, we got a terran signal, calling for help. It was rare, such thing as a signal coming from this sector had never been reported from this area. We had heard of some sparse human colonies on some rare planets, but they had never contacted anyone, nor had they tried to do so.

Nonetheless, I ordered the fleet to turn towards the colonized planet, as I believed the Dae'Uhl ordered us to. Even though the Khala wasn't our religion, we still stuck to what could be called a code of honor.

What we had found on this planet filled us with dread. When we went out of our ship, we found, mountains of smokes and fumes, burning houses, and what was left of some terran beings. The Swarm had passed through this planet, and yet, luckily for us, it hadn't settled in. Only a few minor Zergs remained, ones that even the weakest zealot could take care of. We had to report this to the other Dark Templars, our nemesis were on the move.

Terran culture we didn't know of and our culture they didn't seem attached to, how could we respect those people that had died on that day? Did they pass into the Void as we did? And even though respect was bothering us, there still remained the risk of an infection. We decided upon this: since no Terran had survived, it wasn't of use to grant them grand funerals. Incineration was a common among this specie, that we knew, since some of their machinery was still usable.

So a pyre we set up for them for the good of everyone, before lighting it up, and before purifying the planet from the outside the planet's atmosphere.

Had I said that all the humans on this planet had died? If so, I hadn't been lying because it had been what all of us believed. How could we have known? We knew that some humans had psionic powers, but never had they reached the level of even our newborns.

The Void, was what brought to us Dark Templars great powers, we considered it as the Protoss' true gift given by the Xel'naga, with it we could hide ourselves, we could shield others, and we could understand other people's minds. But it took us a long time to control it, as it didn't come as naturally as psionic powers delivered by the Khala, but it allowed us great feats, far greater than the ones that Khalais did. So how could we have expected a human to discover a human child, barely four human years old, sleeping in the corner of our ship. How had it found its way here, we knew not. But why we had acquainted his presence only by seeing him directly we understood upon the sighting of his mind. Even, if his eyes didn't reflect the Void as ours did, even if Terrans were usually far less intelligent than the First Borns, his mind bore the greatness of the Void, full of psionic powers ready to be unleashed. And yet by feeling this greatness that would normally be felt as easily as a black hole pulling something if uncontrolled, we knew why it hadn't alarmed us. The same way humans breathed, Protoss shielded their minds since before their births, letting only what they needed to let know filter through. But this mind wasn't shielding itself, because as our minds became closer to his, we didn't feel the power of the Void, no… Instead, we felt the Void itself.

How could I express it in words? I said that the workings of the Void were unknown to us. It is true, as from now, we must understand why it had become one with a Terran, a lesser being, making it a creature stronger than the First Borns capable of the greatest feats, and capable of changing the fate of the three races that are here present: Protoss, the first borns of the gods, Zergs, our bane, and yet made by the gods too, and the Terrans, unknown to us, and yet powerful by their will to survive.

_Please, please do review this! And don't forget to give me some ideas if you wish to do so._


	2. Hidden Lies, Known Truths

**Hidden Lies, Known Truths**

_There are things that are best kept secret, but who knows what's best?_

Things are never as clear as you first think

Nova knew that, but when she saw the new addition to Team Blue, she couldn't help thinking that this saying didn't apply to Devin Rayleigh Gates. His dark eyes shone of a light that could very well be that of the truth,and his face seemed more honest than any face could be.

It felt as if nothing could destroy this vision of him, nothing, except for the fact that even though she had a Psi Index of 10, and that Tosh had told her that he had one that was of 7, she couldn't read his mind. And that shattered this image of honesty anyone could have from him. It wasn't that she didn't like it, she felt relieved that she wouldn't have to stop herself from reading his mind. No, what bothered her was that she couldn't feel anything coming from him as if he didn't exist.

So either he had learned to shield himself very well, which she highly doubted, or he had an experimental miniaturised psi-inhibitor, which wouldn't be surprising, those kind of experiments happened everyday now, mostly since Sarco Angelini was superintendent.

But she didn't ask any question, even she had things to hide anyway, and even things to forget. Many people did here, if not all.

"Nice to meet you, the name's Devin, Devin Gates", he introduced himself warmly.

"I'm November Terra, but I rather be called Nova" she answered coldly

"As you wish miss, as you wish..."

She saw him let an enigmatic smile pass across his lips. It would be a pain not to be able to read his mind, especially if his activities contrasted too much with the feelings he gave off.

"Do I look trustworthy to you?"

The question took Nova by surprise, had he read her mind?

"No I didn't, it's just that your face says it all." He made the same smile once again.

She observed him for a moment, and said "Anyway, when we'll become Ghosts, they'll wipe our memories away, so I don't think that will prove much of a problem later on."

She started walking away from him, getting her loner's side get the better of herself.

Devin just stood there until she was gone out of the hall where he had just met her. Then he just smiled to himself, chuckling a little bit too, and he went to have his breakfast and then went to see the rest of his Team.

He had already met Gabriel Tosh the past day when they both had been in Bick's office, just to make his getting into Team Blue official, and to give his files to his new team leader. But it hadn't given them much time to know a little more about each other.

He was now looking at a small piece of paper he produced from his pocket. Four names were written on it, his teammates: Kath Toom, Nova Terra, to whom he had already introduced himself, Lio Travski, Gabriel Tosh, and also newly arrived Aal Cistler. Probably the son of Arcturus Mengsk's friend.

While eating, he reflected on the young women he had just conversed with. He had to admit, she was good-looking, but she didn't to seem to like people much, or if she did, only a few could hope to get into her private circle. When he had met her, she was walking in circle in the hall, probably thinking about a thing or two to herself.

He couldn't help smiling, the local celebrity due to her PI10, and also due to her attractiveness, was alone.

But something made him smile less. The last sentence she had said: "Anyway, when we'll become Ghosts, they'll wipe our memories away, so I don't think that will prove much of a problem later on."

This bothered him. He already knew of the memory wipe protocols, and he didn't mind them much, but that somebody acually wanted to have them was unheard of to his ears. He could only hypothesize that if she didn't have access to this kind of technology, she would probably have suicided some time ago. And above all he hated those kind of people, the ones that didn't grasp everything from life, may it be good or bad, gentle or evil, living in complete stoicism, and not allowing themselves to live.

If he had a motto, it would be "Carpe Diem", seize the day... Well maybe it would be "Sleep while you can" at the moment. The trip had tired him a lot, even more since it had been quite rocky due to some attacks the ship he was in had gone through. Oh well, today would just be a pack simple training drills, nothing much to worry about. He would enjoy the night when it would come.

He gulped the last of his milk in a single sip and went to see the preceptor that was supposed to show him to the other trainees. When he met him, the preceptor gestured him to follow him. Doing so, he arrived at another training ground. The preceptor showed him in the waiting room.

Doing another gesture to show Devin to sit down, the preceptor showed the exemple himself.

"I've heard that you've just come from another Ghost Academy. May I ask which one son?"

"Tel Saer Academy sir" answered Devin promptly.

The preceptor just nodded, and asked another question "How about your family son? What's your home world?"

"I used to live on the newly reformed Mar Sara sir, as for my family, I've been an orphan since the Great War."

Again, the preceptor nodded. He looked at the files he had in his hands. "Good thing it ended, right? Mengsk sure is our savior to us all..."

"Probably, but the Raynor's Raiders don't seem to think the same."

The preceptor raised an eye at this comment. "Good, because I don't think the Emperor thinks the same as them either."

Devin chuckled a bit at this comment.

"Well it seems that it's time to meet your comrades" the preceptor got up, as did Devin "Here's a notepad containing more infos about them, I've understood that you only know their names yet, right? It also has the academy's basic layout, if you don't want to get lost on your first day, with an additionnal timetable. I'm sur the type of studies won't differ too much from the ones you had back at Tel Saer, except, maybe for the settings. I've heard, technology was less developped over there. Anyway, have a good day trainee."

The preceptor started going out of the room, but he stopped just at the door, adding just three more words "And good luck..."

These words echoed in devin's ears after the preceptors exit. He smiled

"Right, I may be needing some soon..."

He got up to look at the screens and finished his sentence

"but they shall be needing it more than me..."

**_Done! And must I really repeat myself? Please continue on reading and above all, review_!**


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